Mutsuhiro Watanabe

Mutsuhiro Watanabe
Nickname(s)"The Bird"
Born(1918-01-18)18 January 1918
Japan
Died1 April 2003(2003-04-01) (aged 85)
Japan
Allegiance Empire of Japan
Branch Imperial Japanese Army
Years of service1941–1945
RankSergeant
Battles / warsWorld War II

Sergeant Mutsuhiro Watanabe (渡邊睦裕, Watanabe Mutsuhiro; 18 January 1918 – 1 April 2003), nicknamed "the Bird" by his prisoners, was a Japanese soldier who served in several prisoner-of-war camps during World War II. Infamous for his mistreatment of Allied prisoners of war, after the surrender of Japan in 1945 American occupational authorities classified Watanabe as a war criminal for his mistreatment and torture of POWs, but he managed to elude arrest and was never trialed in court.